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On Wednesday when 18-year-old Becca Longo signed a letter of intent to play football at Adams State University, she had no idea that she was the first woman to land a NCAA scholarship at the Division II level or higher.
"I didn't know until I heard what Coach Todd was saying—that I had just made history," Longo told NBC satellite12 News, referencing her former coach Gerald Todd. "I had no idea that I was. I thought I was signing a piece of paper to play what I love."
Longo is currently a senior at Basha High School in Chandler, Arizona, and joined the school's football team during her sophomore year, soon becoming a star kicker. When she was applying to colleges, she compiled a film reel of some of her greatest moments on the team and included it with her applications. One of the schools on the receiving end was Adams State. Longo soon took it upon herself to follow the school's head coach, Timm Rosenbach, on Twitter to further prove her interest—a move that did not go unnoticed.
"She's kind of put herself out there to let everyone know she wants to do this," head coach Rosenbach told CNN. "If she's able to compete at a level we think she's able to compete at, we should afford her that opportunity to do that."
Longo visited the school in February, and Rosenbach was impressed by not only her athleticism but her "mental toughness." She was offered a scholarship soon after and is believed to be the first female athlete to ever receive a college football scholarship at a Division II school. Beyond football, Longo will also be playing basketball for the Adams State women's team.
Though Longo has received overwhelming support from people in her community—and strangers who have heard her story—there are plenty of critics who have told her that football should stay a man's sport. But Longo has no time for them and hopes other girls can learn from her accomplishments.
“If they want to play football, go out and play football. If they want to play hockey, they can go out and play hockey,” Longo said during an appearance on Good Morning America on Friday. "Just don’t listen to all the negativity because you’re going to get a lot of it. Just go do what you love.”
